Birch Bay Living

How it began.....We came upon this beautiful space when we were living in Linwood, Washington. My husband was consulting with a company in Vancouver, B.C., so we came along and stayed in Blaine while he went across the border to work. While he was away, we investigated the area and discovered beautiful and unpretentious Birch Bay. I found a small lot, less than 7,000 square feet, with a for sale by owner sign. When Steve returned, we looked at it again and offered $10,000 down and a short-term payoff to be carried by the owner. The owner accepted. We paid off the land in six years but did not build for another five years. We used the proceeds from the sale of our rental to build the house, and here we are twenty years later. We love our life in Birch Bay. Over the years, I spent my summers here, and Steve joined me using his generous vacation time. We've learned about the abundance around us and happily participate in the seasonal opportunities, including clamming, crabbing, lingcod fishing, and salmon fishing. Our favorite is king salmon, but sockeye is always welcome. Pinks and Coho are delicious when smoked, and we use our own smoker to accomplish this.  A smoked salmon brunch is to die for, and smoked salmon chowder is the best comfort food of all!  My husband found this authentic Eagle Totem during one of his walks to the Park at the end of Birch Bay Drive.  It was laying beside the road with a "free" sign attached, so he solicited the help of our neighbor and they hauled it home.  I'm thrilled with it!  I never imagined I'd own such a lovely Native artifact from the great Northwest.  Authenticity is beautiful!  This Christmas season was perfect for skiing.  Sometimes it rains and that makes it less desirable on the slopes, but when it is not rainy is fabulous. Sometimes the Mount Baker ski area already has tons of snow, so the storms that hit ensure that all the lifts are running and that fresh powder is renewing the slopes every day.  Jake snowboards and Harald skis, and both have great fun together.  A friend posted a picture of bald eagles hunting at the Skagit river, and I think it's amazing, so I added it along with another great sunset from my deck.  Also, I'm sharing a picture of our little house along with our new, old boat that Steve has redone.  It's big enough to transport him to some of the Canadian islands where he can fish for ling cod and halibut.  We're looking forward to this potential catch!